Sausage, Mash and Peas

I titled this entry after the delicious meal that I just consumed. Sausage, mash (mashed potatoes) and peas is the best meal ever invented. Especially when you use vegetarian sausages instead of the greasy meat version. I cook for myself here, so when I happen to make something tasty, I tend to over celebrate.

About a week ago I went to see Milk (the biopic of Harvey Milk's life) with the Sussex LGBT group. I had already seen it (movies come out way later here, Vicky Christina Barcelona is just about to come out), so I really went for the company and conversation. Like most American-related things I encounter while studying abroad, it is really interesting to try and see it through other people's (usually Brits') eyes.

The mostly British students I went with said many interesting things about the LGBT movement, and a couple of points struck me as particularly effective at highlighting the differences between the U.S. and the U.K. Someone said that the movement towards LGBT rights in this country was less dramatic. And that really seems to have been true. Since they don't have a supreme court or constitution, Tony Blair was just able to write into law a whole bunch of gay rights initiative such as same-sex partnership benefits. I need to look into it more, but as one of my friends noted, it seems as though the government here acts ahead of the people, whereas in the U.S. the government plays catch up with societies' views because the system is based on precedent.

It is surprising that we are the more conservative country since we are relatively new. You'd think we'd be more open to change sense nothing has really been around for that long. Perhaps our short memories combined with a need to appear as legitimate as older countries leads us to be more protective of our traditions?

Side note: I'm often struck by just how young the U.S. is, especially when I happen to have cream tea in a tea house that has been around for five hundred years--twice as old as my country.

So, back to Milk. So during our post-movie debriefing conversation this really cool guy I met named Zia said that the movie made him want to become more politically active and to have him voice heard, but that he'd have to decide what was worth fighting for. I guess his reaction is partly informed by the fact that LGBT people pretty much have all the rights that we are fighting for in the U.S. : adoption rights, partnership benefits, and anti discrimination laws.

The conversation made me appreciate that we do have something distinct to fight for, which really surprised me. In a weird way, we benefit from having to band together to fight for equality. I feel really lucky to have born at a time and in a place where I am able to fight for the causes that mean the most to me. Of course I wish we didn't have to, but being here did highlight the positive side of...oppression? It even sounds weird. And since I live a privileged life, I benefit more than others. Part of the reason why I am able to do and enjoy LGBT activism is because I'm not constantly worried about my safety, whether I'll be able to get a job or keep custody of my children.

However, even if we didn't have specific rights to fight for anymore (or as many), I don't think we would lose "what makes us, us." During the Prop 8 fiasco, some (very foolish) LGBT people said that they didn't want marriage equality because it would make us too "normal" or/and we'd just be buying into a heterosexist society. I think that under that sentiment, there is also the fear that if we have the same rights as straight people, then we won't have anything to bind us together. Hanging out with LGBT people here, I've realized that is not true. There is still something different and wonderful about being in a group of mostly LGBT people. LGBT people will always have different experiences from straight people and we can bond through those experiences if we wish.

Language update: The Brit way of saying "tramp stamp" (tattoo on lower back, usually sported by women of questionable morals) is "slag tag". A little anti-feminist, but funny.